- Sat, 31 Jul, 2010, 2:53 am -

Recently, Mr. Maqbool Fida Husain demonstratively surrendered his Indian Passport and has taken a new citizenship of an Arabian Sheikhdom governed by the sharia laws. Many defenders of the Artistic Freedom have voiced disappointment that “India let the great Painter down.” But there are many artists, professors, and industrial families well settled in the UK, Canada and the US who gave up the citizenship of the rich countries to live and work for Mother India.

M F Husain

Mr. Nani Palkhivala in his book “We, the Nation” describes how the Parsis in the year 936 A.D. came to India as “boat people, i.e., as people who crossed the seas in unsafe boats as refugees”. Originally in seven ships they had to escape from Iran after their country was conquered by the Muslims. Palkhivala details the contribution of the Parsis to the Nation in various fields –higher education, science, engineering, commerce and industry. According to 1941 Census the highest figure of Parsi population in India was 1,14, 890. Today, the Parsis in India number around 70,000, and about 15,000 are scattered over Europe, America, Africa and the Far East. The Parsis are proud citizens of India. Despite their numerical insignificance. they were in the forefront of our Freedom movement. And in the post-Independent decades, they have been leaders in many critical fields of industry, trade and banking. The Taj Hotel (Bombay) was the Tata’s hospitality centre which faced the suicide bombing of the 26/11 jihadi attack. Yet, the most powerful minority, the Parsis have never demanded a separate State or a special quota. Nor had any Parsi is reported to have given up her Indian citizenship.

We, the nation can be truly proud of J&K’s the First family of Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah whose grandfather, Shere Kashmir Sheikh Abdullah was imprisoned for 14 years by the Nehru government. The Abdullah family is under threat from the Islamists. Yet, they have not given up Indian Passports. The world also knows the young Italian Sonia whose husband and mother-in-law were killed in India. Yet, she chose the Indian citizenship.

We, the Nation is also proud of many young artists, writers, scientists and Persons of Indian Origin ( PIOs) who in the post independent years gave up the green pastures abroad. They came to India to serve and contribute to the cultural and scientific development. Many young scientists, in the 60s, having completed their higher education abroad, returned to live and die in India. How could we forget the national commitment of the late Krishna Menon, Dr. Homi J. Bhabha, and the physicist Dr. Meghnath Saha. And the Astro-physicists Dr. Jayant Narlikar and Dr. M.G.K. Menon, Former PTI Science editor Dr. K.S. Jayaraman, and Dr. Harish Khare and many media leading lights who did not give up their Indian passports.

There is a family of the late Faquir Chand Sondhi who had settled in England in 1936. His younger son Prakash, a Cambridge graduate, a PIO, born and brought up in Britain, gave up his British passport, and with family came to India in 1967, to serve this nation. He has built sports industry providing jobs to some 5,000 woking families in Panjab and J&K.

We, the Nation is enriched by intellectual and cultural contributions of Muslim saints, poets, writers, actors, music maestros, leaders, ministers, scientists, professors and vice-chancellors who are our popular celebrate in India. India is the only country in the world that has built segregated “ Haj Air Terminals” for Muslims Only (sic. Whites Only). Human Rights campaigner, Ms. Asma Jahangir had rightly complained that Indian polity encourages (pampers) Muslim conservatism. I have had occasions to meet the bare foot painter Husain. He was least concerned with the issues of democratic freedom of Arts and expressions. Notwithstanding his paintings of beautiful females, the issues of women’s equal rights, e.g., were of no concern of this Piccaso of our times. He was unwilling to ask the government of India to protect the life and liberty of Ms. Tasleema Nasreen.

One need not be an expert to judge the artistic achievements of Mr. Husain. His paintings of Mother India, Durga and Sita e.g., do not suggest comparison with legendary Piccaso’s progressive Peace paintings. At the ripe age 95, if now he wanted to paint in a more peaceful land and in Qatar where he would not be harassed by the Income Tax officers. Inshallah. We wish him safe landing. But We, the Nation’s most appropriate response at this hour should be to grant the full citizenship to Ms. Tasleema Nasreen.

 - Dhirendra Sharma
Centre for Science Policy/Concerned
Scientists & Philosophers,
"Nirmal-Nilay", Dehradun 248009 (India).
+(0135) 2735 627.Mob. 989788 3741
Mo. 989788 3741.